Since 1979 we have helped expand the immigration expertise of attorneys, nonprofit staff, criminal defenders, and others assisting immigrant clients.

In addition to authoring the ILRC’s practice manuals, our expert attorneys have been published by Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), ILW.com, Huffington Post, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Center for Law and Social Policy, The Hill, LexisNexis Emerging Issues, and Fox News Latino.

We have also provided training to National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), American Bar Association Commission on Immigration, Federal Bar Association, The State Bar of California, Legal Aid Association of California, Judicial Council of California and more.

In Rendon v. Holder the Ninth Circuit clarified when a statute is truly “divisible” under the categorical approach, and held that California burglary (Penal Code § 459) never constitutes the aggravated felony “attempted theft.” This holding also means that California burglary never is a crime involving moral turpitude, under the categorical approach.

In 2013, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a Parental Interests Directive to provide federal guidelines regarding immigration enforcement against parents and legal guardians. The Directive emphasizes that ICE should respect an immigrant parent’s rights and responsibilities, and seeks to ensure that “immigration enforcement activities do not unnecessarily disrupt” parental...

On September 30, 2012, the state of California enacted the Reuniting Immigrant Families Act (“SB 1064”). SB 1064 is the nation’s first law addressing the reunification barriers faced by many immigrant families involved with the child welfare system. The law clarifies that maintaining children’s ties to their families remains the priority despite barriers imposed by immigration status, including...

This letter was sent to all California County Counsel and Sheriff Offices to advise on Miranda-Olivares and urge jurisdictions to stop complying with Immigration detainers, unless or until such detainers are accompanied by a judicial determination of probable cause to satisfy the requirements of the Fourth Amendment.

This video offers an overview of the DACA request process, explains how to fill out all of the required DACA forms, and outlines best practices and tips for completing the forms, which can be more complicated than they look. The presentation also alerts practitioners and volunteers about potential problem areas that may arise during the process, and when to seek expert advice.

This video provides a brief overview of DACA, including how many people have applied and the benefits of applying. It covers the main eligibility requirements for DACA, points out the various issue areas, and provides the volunteer with best practice tips when screening a DACA applicant.

On July 21, 2014, Governor Brown signed into law a provision that will make a California misdemeanor have a maximum possible sentence of 364 days. This will provide crucial help to immigrants convicted of minor offenses.

This recording explains the DACA renewal process, including eligibility requirements, procedure for applying, required evidence, and other relevant details. The podcast is available in English and Spanish.

This op-ed on Unaccompanied Alien Children was written by one of our summer law interns, Kathleen Kavanagh. In recent months, we’ve seen an unprecedented jump in child arrivals mostly from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The Official Border Patrol statistics show that over 47,000 unaccompanied minors have already been apprehended in the first eight months of fiscal year 2014. Read the...

In this podcast we discuss travel options, also known as Advance Parole, for DACA recipients. We review how and when DACA recipients may apply for advance parole, and share some of the risks and important considerations they should be aware of before leaving the country.

This summary provides details on recent groundbreaking federal court rulings related to immigration detainers. Learn what these decisions mean and how to use this information with your own local sheriffs, other law enforcement, and elected officials.

A permanent resident with convictions from before April 1, 1997 may be eligible for a powerful waiver under the former INA § 212(c)—even if the offense was an aggravated felony. Yielding to the U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Judulang , the BIA has dramatically increased the type of offenses that can be waived. See practice advisory by the NIPNLG and IDP, entitled "Matter of Abdelghany:...

This memorandum was sent to all California County Counsel offices on December 19, 2013. The letter discusses interpretation and implementation of the TRUST Act. Advocates may use this letter to better understand the Act as well as in advocacy.

Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) administers a database of information sourced from more than 700 advocates nationwide with helpful information about law enforcement agencies who certify victim helpfulness for U cases and consulates abroad who issue U visas. The database includes information on who the U certifying officers are and where to send the requests, as well as the most...

On October 5, 2013, Governor Brown signed AB 4, the TRUST Act, which went into effect January 1, 2014. It will be codified as Gov. Code §§ 7282, 7282.5. The TRUST Act prevents local law enforcement from detaining noncitizens pursuant to an immigration “hold” or detainer beyond the time that they otherwise could be released from criminal custody. This Guide discusses how the TRUST Act works and...

These sample questions provide guidance for meetings with local law enforcement. They cover monitoring of the TRUST Act, any other ways that law enforcement may cooperate with ICE, and the potential to push for better local policy.